Flashlight unit

ABSTRACT

A flashlight unit comprises a housing having upper, lower, front and rear sides. A battery is provided in the housing. A handle is mounted on the upper side of the housing. A plurality of lamps are mounted in the front, rear and lower sides. A multiposition switch in the housing has an actuating member at a side of the housing. A circuit in the housing connects the battery, the switch and the lamps in a manner whereby any desired combination of lamps is selectively actuated by the switch.

United States Patent [191 [73] Assignee: The Raymond Lee Organization,

Inc., New York, NY.

[22] Filed: May 16, 1973 [21] Appl. No.: 360,792

[52] U.S. Cl 240/10.63, 240/112 R, 240/54 A [51] Int. Cl. F211 7/00 [58]Field of Search .1 IMO/10.6 R, 10.63, 8.16, 240/1 1.2 R, 22, 54 R [56]References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,274,713 8/1918 Hoffmann et a1240/l0.63

2,673,925 3/1954 Braun 240/10.63

2,991,349 7/1961 Garland 240/l0.63

2,761,960 9/1956 Musselman 240/10.63

Rundberg 1 May 7, 1974 FLASHLIGHT UNIT 1,446,133 2 1923 Sloan 240/10.63

[75] Inventor: Sten I. Rundberg, Grand Valley, FOREIGN PATENTS ORAPPLICATIONS C010- 862,986 12/1040 France 240/l0.63

1.347.134 ll/l963 France... IMO/10.63

Primary Examiner-Joseph F Peters, Jr. Attorney, Agent, or Firm-DanielJay Tick [57] ABSTRACT A flashlight unit comprises a housing havingupper, lower, front and rear sides. A battery is provided in thehousing. A handle is mounted on the upper side of the housing. Aplurality of lamps are mounted in the front, rear and lower sides. Amultiposition switch in the housing has an actuating member at a side ofthe housing. A circuit in the housing connects the battery, the switchand the lamps in a manner whereby any de sired combination of lamps isselectively actuated by the switch.

2 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEBI 7 I974 FIGZ FIGS

r GD

, FLASHLIGHT UNIT DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION The present inventionrelates to a flashlight unit.

The principal object of the invention is to provide a flashlight unitwhich illuminates the area under the flashlight as well as areas infront of and behind the flashlight to enable the user to illuminate alarge area by utilizing only one hand to hold the flashlight therebypermitting the user to have a free hand for holding other equipment,such as fishing equipment, which flashlight unit is of simple, butefiicient effective and reliable structure, and is easy, simple, facileand convenient to use. I

In order that the invention may be readily carried into effect, it willnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawing, wherein: I

FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an embodiment of the flashlight unit ofthe invention in use;

FIG. 2 is a top view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the flashlight unitof the invention;

FIG. 3 is a side view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a front view of the embodiment of FIG. 1 of the flashlightunit of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a circuit diagram of the circuit of the flashlight unit of theinvention.

In the FIGS., the same components are identified by the same referencenumerals.

The flashlight unit of the invention comprises a housing 1 (FIGS. 1 to4) having an upper side 2 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3), a lower side 3 (FIG. 3), afront side 4 (FIGS. 2 to 4) and a rear side 5 (FIGS. 2 and 3). A battery6 (FIG. 5) is provided in the housing 1. A handle 7 (FIGS. 2, 3 and 4)is mounted on the upper side 2 of the housing 1. A plurality of lamps 8,9 and 10 are mounted in the front side 4, the rear side 5 and the lowerside 3, respectively, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3.

A multiposition switch 11 (FIGS. 3, 4 and 5) of any suitable known type,is provided in the housing and has an actuating member such as, forexample, a sliding button, at the upper side 2 of the housing 1.

A circuit, as shown in FIG. 5, and comprising a plurality ofelectrically conductive leads 12, 13, 14, 15 and 16, connects thebattery 6, the switch 11 and the lamps 8, 9 and 10 in a manner wherebyany desired combination of lamps is selectively actuated by the switch.

A first lamp 8, as shown in FIGS. 1, 3 and 4, is

mounted in the front side 4 at a downwardly extending angle and ispositioned to direct a beam of light to the ground ahead of the unitwhen the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane. A secondlamp 9, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3, is mounted in the rear side 5 at adownwardly extending angle and is positioned to direct a beam of lightto the ground behind the unit when the unit is carried in asubstantially horizontal plane. The third lamp 10, as shown in FIGS. 1,3 and 4, is mounted in the lower side 4 at substantially right angles tothe lower side and is positioned to direct a beam of light to the grounddirectly beneath the unit when the unit is carried in a substantiallyhorizontal plane.

While the invention has been described by means of a specific exampleand in a specific embodiment, I do not wish to be limited thereto forobvious modifications will occur to those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. A flashlight unit, comprising a housing having upper, lower, frontand rear sides;

a battery in the housing;

a handle on the upper side of the housing;

a plurality of lamps mounted in the front, rear and lower sides, a firstlamp being mounted in the front side at a downwardly extending angle, asecond lamp being mounted in the rear side at a downwardly extendingangle and a third lamp being mounted in the lower side at substantiallyright angles to the lower side;

a multiposition switch in the housing and having an actuating member ata side of the housing; and

circuit means in the housing connecting the battery, the switch and thelamps in a manner whereby any desired combination of lamps isselectively actuated by the switch.

2. A flashlight unit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first lamp ispositioned to direct a beam of light to the ground ahead of the unitwhen the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane, the secondlamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the ground behind theunit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane andthe third lamp is positioned to direct a beam of light to the grounddirectly beneath the unit when the unit is carried in a substantiallyhorizontal plane.

1. A flashlight unit, comprising a housing having upper, lower, frontand rear sides; a battery in the housing; a handle on the upper side ofthe housing; a plurality of lamps mounted in the front, rear and lowersides, a first lamp being mounted in the front side at a downwardlyextending angle, a second lamp being mounted in the rear side at adownwardly extending angle and a third lamp being mounted in the lowerside at substantially right angles to the lower side; a multipositionswitch in the housing and having an actuating member at a side of thehousing; and circuit means in the housing connecting the battery, theswitch and the lamps in a manner whereby any desired combination oflamps is selectively actuated by the switch.
 2. A flashlight unit asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the first lamp is positioned to direct abeam of light to the ground ahead of the unit when the unit is carriedin a substantially horizontal plane, the second lamp is positioned todirect a beam of light to the ground behind the unit when the unit iscarried in a substantially horizontal plane and the third lamp ispositioned to direct a beam of light to the ground directly beneath theunit when the unit is carried in a substantially horizontal plane.